HomeCaliforniaButte County
Butte County, California: commercial real estate data.
Butte County, California has a population of 207,929 across 1,636 square miles, down 1.6 percent since the 2020 census base. County output reached $12.90 bn in 2024, 4,677 establishments operate here, and the SBA record carries 165 7(a) approvals worth $93.6 m.
128 sourced county values · tier FULL · 12 sections
Butte County
How many people live in Butte County
- Population207,929
- Households83,312
- Average household size2.50
- Median household income$67,928
- Median age36.2
- Median gross rent$1,414 per month
- Median owner-occupied home value$424,700
- Home value to household income6.3 times
- Annual rent as a share of median income25.0 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a bachelor degree or higher31.9 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a graduate degree11.4 percent
- Adults 25 and over135,188
- Population under 1842,452
- Share under 1820.4 percent
- Population 65 and over38,227
- Share 65 and over18.4 percent
- Working age population, 18 to 64127,250
- Civilian labor force100,743
- Unemployment rate7.5 percent
- Labor force participation, adults 18 and over60.9 percent
- Rank by population among California counties28th of 58
- Rank by population among US county-equivalents336th
Butte County is the 28th largest of 58 California counties by population. A median home costs 6.3 times median household income, which is a stretched ownership market and usually shows up as rental demand. Residents under 18 outnumber those 65 and over, at 20.4 percent against 18.4 percent, a household formation profile rather than a retirement one.
US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Butte County
Is Butte County growing
- Population change since the 2020 census base-1.56 percent
- Census 2020 base population211,632
- Births, 20241,812
- Deaths, 20242,280
- Natural change, 2024-468
- Net domestic migration, 2024896
- Net international migration, 2024545
- Total net migration, 20241,441
- Cumulative net domestic migration, 2021 to 2024-1,157
- Rank by growth among US county-equivalents2377th
The county has lost 1.56 percent of its population since the 2020 census base. Deaths exceeded births in 2024, so all of the growth came from people moving in. A market held up by migration alone is more sensitive to a change in relative cost than one growing from household formation.
US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024, Vintage 2024, estimates 2020 to 2024.
Butte County
Where people moving to Butte County come from
- Tax returns filed by households arriving4,726
- People arriving, from those returns7,849
- Adjusted gross income arriving$275.0 m
- Net adjusted gross income movement$0
- Average income of an arriving household$58,195
- Largest single originButte County Non-migrants (72,375 households)
- Largest single destination (72,375 households)
| Origin | Households | People | Adjusted gross income |
|---|---|---|---|
| Butte County Non-migrants | 72,375 | 141,109 | $5.81 bn |
| Other flows - Different State | 919 | 1,605 | $56.0 m |
| Other flows - West | 462 | 843 | $29.4 m |
| Sacramento County | 393 | 691 | $19.4 m |
| Other flows - South | 272 | 455 | $15.0 m |
| Sutter County | 247 | 509 | $12.3 m |
| Glenn County | 228 | 390 | $11.5 m |
| Tehama County | 204 | 339 | $10.8 m |
The largest single source of arrivals is Butte County Non-migrants, which is the catchment a retail or multifamily study should look at first.
US Internal Revenue Service, Statistics of Income county migration flows, 2021 to 2022 filing years.
Butte County
What the Butte County economy runs on
- County GDP, 2024$12.90 bn
- County GDP, 2023$11.86 bn
- GDP change, 2023 to 20248.7 percent
- GDP change over five years35.1 percent
- Rank by GDP among California counties30th
- Rank by GDP among US county-equivalents361st
- GDP per resident$62,045
Output grew 8.7 percent in the latest year and 35.1 percent over five, which is the trend line a lender will read behind any single year figure.
US Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional, table CAGDP2, CAGDP2, through 2024.
Butte County
Who employs people in Butte County
- Covered employment, annual average78,999
- Establishments reporting9,029
- Average annual pay$57,521
- Average weekly wage$1,106
- Sector 62, employment19,255
- Sector 62, average annual pay$57,496
- Sector 44-45, employment9,123
- Sector 44-45, average annual pay$41,784
- Sector 72, employment7,266
- Sector 72, average annual pay$26,647
- Sector 23, employment3,918
- Sector 23, average annual pay$77,408
- Sector 31-33, employment3,734
- Sector 81, employment3,571
| Sector | Employment | Establishments | Average annual pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sector 62 | 19,255 | 4,249 | $57,496 |
| Sector 44-45 | 9,123 | 630 | $41,784 |
| Sector 72 | 7,266 | 424 | $26,647 |
| Sector 23 | 3,918 | 600 | $77,408 |
| Sector 31-33 | 3,734 | 192 | $65,524 |
| Sector 81 | 3,571 | 420 | $41,113 |
| Sector 11 | 2,774 | 342 | $56,868 |
| Sector 56 | 2,661 | 278 | $44,029 |
The largest sector is the biggest private employer group at 19,255 jobs, 24.4 percent of covered employment. Average pay per job sits below median household income, so households here typically need more than one earner.
US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024 annual averages.
Butte County
What businesses operate in Butte County
- Establishments, all industries4,677
- Employment at those establishments63,158
- Annual payroll$3.25 bn
- Establishments per 1,000 residents22.5
These are counts of establishments physically operating in the county, not listings, so they are the supply side a feasibility study measures demand against.
US Census Bureau, County Business Patterns, 2023.
Butte County
What is being built in Butte County
- Housing units authorised by permit, 2024946
- Declared construction value permitted$156.0 m
- Single family units authorised657
- Multifamily units authorised289
- Multifamily share of units30.5 percent
- Average declared value per unit$164,874
- Units authorised per 1,000 households11.4
Multifamily is 30.5 percent of units authorised, so the pipeline is predominantly for sale product.
US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
Butte County
How much SBA lending happens in Butte County
- 7(a) approvals recorded165
- 7(a) gross approval dollars$93.6 m
- Average 7(a) approval$567,115
- Median 7(a) approval$275,000
- 10th percentile approval$21,700
- 90th percentile approval$1,415,000
- Largest single approval$4,920,000
- Jobs reported supported, 7(a)1,782
- Jobs per approval10.8
- Distinct 7(a) lenders active45
- Distinct industries receiving approvals97
- Median 7(a) term120 months
- Share of loans on real estate terms, 240 months or longer26.1 percent
- Loans on real estate terms43
- Loans on working capital terms, 120 months or shorter114
- Franchise loans21
- Franchise share of approvals12.7 percent
- Leading industry by approval countElectrical Contractors and Other Wiring Installation Contractors (10)
- Most active lenderU.S. Bank, National Association (34)
- 504 approvals recorded151
- 504 gross approval dollars$120.2 m
- Average 504 approval$796,053
- Median 504 approval$448,000
- Distinct CDCs active10
- 504 jobs per approval10.7
- 504 jobs per million dollars approved13.4
- Most active CDCGreater Sacramento Certified Development Corporation (75)
- 7(a) share of SBA approvals52.2 percent
- Combined SBA approval dollars$213.8 m
The average approval of $567,115 sits well above the median of $275,000, so a small number of large deals is pulling the mean up. The median is the better guide to what a typical borrower here actually gets. Only 26.1 percent of approvals run on real estate terms, so SBA credit here is mostly working capital and equipment rather than property acquisition.
US Small Business Administration, 7(a) FOIA release, FY2020 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30. US Small Business Administration, 504 FOIA release, FY2010 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30.
Butte County
Do SBA loans in Butte County get paid back
- Loans with a final outcome recorded23
- Paid in full22
- Charged off1
- Charge off rate on resolved loans4.3 percent
- Status: Paid in full22
- Status: Cancelled18
- Status: Exempt from disclosure114
- Status: Charged off1
- Status: Committed, not yet disbursed10
Of the 23 loans that have reached a final outcome, 4.3 percent were charged off. This is computed only over resolved loans, because a loan still running has not yet succeeded or failed and counting it either way would be wrong.
US Small Business Administration, 7(a) FOIA release, FY2020 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30.
Butte County
Which parts of Butte County get the lending
- Places in the county with recorded lending10
- CHICO, approvals103
- OROVILLE, approvals36
- Gridley, approvals10
- PARADISE, approvals8
- FOREST RANCH, approvals3
- ELK GROVE, approvals1
| Place | Approvals | Gross approval dollars |
|---|---|---|
| CHICO | 103 | $59,686,200 |
| OROVILLE | 36 | $25,117,300 |
| Gridley | 10 | $4,431,900 |
| PARADISE | 8 | $2,233,900 |
| FOREST RANCH | 3 | $625,700 |
| ELK GROVE | 1 | $150,000 |
| SAN FRANCISCO | 1 | $48,000 |
| PALERMO | 1 | $150,000 |
CHICO accounts for 103 approvals against 36 in OROVILLE. County level figures average over that gap, which is why a site decision is made at the submarket rather than the county.
US Small Business Administration, 7(a) FOIA release, FY2020 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30.
Butte County
How big is Butte County
- Land area1,636 sq mi
- Rank by land area among California counties28th of 58
- Width, east to west51.6 mi
- Height, north to south59.1 mi
- Geographies sharing a boundary6
- Residents per square mile of land127
- Establishments per square mile2.86
US Census Bureau county boundary geometry, TIGER, adjacency computed from shared boundary vertices, TIGER county boundaries. US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year. US Census Bureau, County Business Patterns, 2023.
Butte County
What hazards affect Butte County
- EPA radon zone predicted average indoor radon screening level less than 2 pCi/LZone 3
- Communities in the NFIP Community Status Book6
- Of those, participating in the NFIP6
- NFIP participation rate100.0 percent
- Communities carrying a CRS class0
The EPA places the county in radon zone 3, a predicted average indoor radon screening level less than 2 pCi/L.
US EPA, Map of Radon Zones, county spreadsheet, 2024-05 publication, EPA 402/A-16/001. FEMA OpenFEMA, NFIP Community Status Book, Community Status Book, as retrieved.
Coverage
What this page does not hold.
Every item below could be filled with a plausible figure. None of them is. On a page a lender may read, a number that cannot be traced is worse than an absence, so the absences are named.
- Flood zone record counts are not held. The flood coverage export has not landed, so no count is shown rather than an estimated one.
- Traffic counts resolve in the platform, not in this dataset, so no AADT figure is printed here.
- Zoning is in build. Parcel level zoning is not published on this page.
Feasibility studies
When a Butte County site needs a document a lender will accept.
The same data layer behind this page is the one the studies are written from. A study for a Butte County site starts with the figures you are reading, carrying the same source and period into the credit file.
- Population207,929
- Households83,312
- Average household size2.50
- Median household income$67,928
- Median age36.2
Common questions
Butte County questions, answered from the record.
How many people live in Butte County, California?
207,929, in 83,312 households, ranking 28th of 58 California counties. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Is Butte County growing?
The population has fallen 1.56 percent since the 2020 census base. In 2024 there were 1,812 births against 2,280 deaths, with net migration of 1,441. Source: US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024, Vintage 2024, estimates 2020 to 2024.
What is the median household income in Butte County?
$67,928. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $424,700, which is 6.3 times income, and median gross rent is $1,414 per month. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
How many businesses are there in Butte County?
4,677 establishments, employing 63,158 people with an annual payroll of $3.25 bn. These are establishments physically operating in the county, not listings. Source: US Census Bureau, County Business Patterns, 2023.
What is the average wage in Butte County?
Average annual pay is $57,521, or $1,106 a week, across 78,999 covered jobs. Source: US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024 annual averages.
How much SBA lending happens in Butte County?
165 7(a) approvals totalling $93.6 m since FY2020, across 45 lenders, with a median approval of $275,000, plus 151 504 approvals worth $120.2 m. These are approvals recorded in the release, not loans disbursed.
Do SBA loans in Butte County get paid back?
Of the 23 loans that have reached a final outcome, 22 were paid in full and 1 charged off, a charge off rate of 4.3 percent. Loans still running are excluded, because they have not yet succeeded or failed.
What is being built in Butte County?
946 housing units were authorised by permit in 2024, with a declared construction value of $156.0 m. Multifamily was 30.5 percent of units. Source: US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
What is the radon zone for Butte County?
Zone 3, a predicted average indoor radon screening level less than 2 pCi/L. Source: US EPA, Map of Radon Zones, county spreadsheet, 2024-05 publication, EPA 402/A-16/001.
Where do people moving to Butte County come from?
The largest single origin is Butte County Non-migrants, with 72,375 households. Arriving households report an average income of $58,195 against null for those leaving. Source: US Internal Revenue Service, Statistics of Income county migration flows, 2021 to 2022 filing years.
Are traffic counts available for Butte County on this page?
No. Annual average daily traffic resolves in the platform rather than in this dataset, so no AADT figure is printed here. It is a gap we know about rather than a figure we estimated.
Is zoning published for Butte County?
Not yet. The zoning layer is in build. Nothing on this page presents parcel level zoning, and where a statutory framework applies it is marked as the statewide frame with confirm locally attached.